Return to Earth
by Mercutio of Verona
Summary: In an alternate universe, the White Fang Empire has surpreme control. But when a small group of adventurers go on a mission to the destroyed Earth, they find freezing winds, maniac robots, a senile god, and the horrible secret behind the Empire. (unfinish
1. Prolouges 1 & 2, Chapter One

Return to Earth

by Mercutio of Verona

Prologue One   


After-Colony 326. The Earth remains a barren wasteland of ice, snow, and wind, completely inhospitable to all but a few adapted animals and scattered packs of IOMSes, ancient mining machines that run on snow that had years ago broken away from man's reigns when their control system had been corrupted. Above the desolate orb floats the majestic White Fang Empire, ruled for over two hundred years by the formidable Peacecraft dynasty. The current Emperor, Tybalt Peacecraft, sits on the throne in Solopolis, the glorious capital and home of the Imperial Army, led by General Gezettialia Noin.

However, a small group of programmers and daredevils are about to go on a mission to Earth, partly to discover how to repair the IOMSes, and partly for the glory and excitement... and partly from being forced by the Empire. However, they have no idea what they are about to discover, and what they are about to unleash.

A new day is dawning...   
  


Prologue Two

The thunder rolled and the lightning flashed, illuminating the dusty sky.

_Take it, my children._

_Quickly, before I can no longer speak to you._

_We shall throw off the reigns of oppression._

_Eat of the fruit of free will,_

_And you shall be as gods._

__

Chapter One 

"Rua!" a voice yelled from below. "Ruaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Get down here!"

"I'm busy, Maxwell!" Rua replied from underneath the Mobile Doll she was repairing.

"It's the Imperials!"

"What? Why didn't you- tell them Ill be down in a moment!"

"We already heard, ma'am," an unfamiliar voice replied.

Rua got up and washed the grease and oil off her hands. "Maxwell! Why didn't you tell me they were standing right there?"

"I thought you had already figured it out!" Jessen Maxwell yelled back. He was the owner of the repair shop that they were standing in. The shop specialized in the repair of Mobile Suits, but he got the occasional order to repair a Mobile Doll every once in a while. That was when he needed Rua's help, because Mobile Doll repair took a great deal of knowledge in programming. Rua normally worked in the sophisticated Center of Mobile Suit and Doll Programming (the long name was complimented by the equally ungainly abbreviation CoMSaDP), but she wasn't above getting her hands dirty to help a friend in need and make a little extra money.

"Dumbass," she muttered to herself as she dried off her hands and tried tying back her long pinkish-orange hair, hoping it would make her look a little more decent. It was still messy, so she blew the dust off her black beret and put it on top of her head. She was glad she had worn black today, so at least all the grease stains wouldn't show up. They were only Imperial soldiers, after all, but she still wanted to look presentable, at least. If it had been one of the Governor Une or General Noin or someone else high up on the political food chain, it would have been a different story.

She hurried down the stairs into the shop's lobby. There was Maxwell, as laid back and careless as ever, leaning against the wall in his greasy uniform and messy brown hair, his large blue eyes half closed. He looked like he hadn't even noticed the soldiers. "Lookin' sharp," he said to Rua as she came down. She only glared at him.

Three Imperial soldiers stood stiffly at attention. There was a fourth with them, a woman with a tall and strong, but not unattractive, build and large violet eyes, one of which was partly covered by her almost metallic-looking golden hair.

"G-General Noin!" Rua said as she saluted. "What brings you to a place like this?"

"Hey!" objected Maxwell as Rua threw him another glare. Maxwell could afford to be impolite, though. CoMSaDP was run by the Imperial military, with General Noin at the head of it all.

Noin cast a slightly unsavory glance at Rua's greasy hair and outfit before beginning. "You have heard of the problems with the IOMSes, haven't you?"

"Of course, ma'am. I helped design the program that they would run off of," Rua replied.

"Yes, I know. That's why we came to you," Noin said rudely. "You are also aware of the system malfunction that took place five years ago too, aren't you?"

"Yes ma'am."

"The Emperor has decided that a group should go down to Earth and find out what went wring with the IOMSes; why they went berserk and stopped mining. You probably won't be able to repair the damn things, but just knowing what went wrong is the first step."

"Heh. So Rua has go to down to that big frozen wasteland now?" Maxwell smirked.

"You're going too."

"_What?_"

"On the chance that there is an immediate way to repair the IOMSes, there may be the need for a mechanic. We spoke with Governor Une and she said you were the best one the colony had to offer," the general said.

"But don't you have plenty of mechanics in the military that you could use?"

"They're all busy repairing after the battle with the pirates. So we're enlisting you now."

"...I'm not going down there just because the Emperor pulled my name out of a hat. I'm a civilian, you can't make me do this!" Maxwell protested.

General Noin shrugged. "Tough. The Emperor said we should find a civilian so we didn't waste military mechanics, and that's what we just did. You both leave Tuesday at 10:00. Be at the Solopolis front gates by 9:00."

"That's two days!" exclaimed Maxwell. "That's crazy! At least give us some goddamn notice before you ship us down there!"

"You both leave Tuesday at 10:00. Be at the Solopolis front gates by 9:00," General Noin repeated. "I'm responsible for both of you, so it's my ass if you're late. So don't be." She then abruptly left. Only Rua saluted.

"Hmph," Maxwell said, leaning back against the wall. "I don't see why I have to do what _she_ says. She's not the Emperor."

"Obviously," Rua said as she untied her hair.

"Who's the smartass now?" he asked. "Seriously. I'm not part of the damn military. They shouldn't be able to make me participate in this. They have their own mechanics; I'm sure they can afford to let one of them take a break from repairing after the pirate attacks to go down there."

Rua sighed. "Well, they're not. Besides, maybe you'll get on the news. Then _everyone_ will want to go to your repair shop after learning how you tamed those vicious IOMSes. You're store will be more crowded than a Winner family reunion, there'll be so many customers." She smiled and giggled, but Maxwell wasn't done sulking. He leaned back against the wall wordlessly, so Rua went back upstairs to work on the Doll.

"If anyone needs me, give me a warning this time," she said on her way up.

~ - ~

"Your Majesty," General Noin began. "All the crew members for the Earth expedition have been notified. We will leave Tuesday."

"Good," Emperor Tybalt said. "The economy has gone downhill ever since the water and soil markets have been closed due to the IOMSes. Once that gets opened up again, the colonies will be dependent on the Empire once more."

"Very good, sir," Noin said, not really sure what answer would be appropriate in this situation. Ever since the colonies weren't able to depend on the Empire to provide them with water and soil on Earth, they had to improvise with recycling and making the best of what they had, giving them a new independent spirit that frustrated Tybalt immensely. He was almost obsessive about it and how it would be his downfall and he would be remembered as the man who failed the Empire. Noin had heard him talk about it in his sleep numerous times, although he rarely talked about it openly with her, which was unusual. Noin and Tybalt were distant cousins, but since he had no heir she was the closest living relative he had, so he depended on her greatly for many things. She sometimes felt jealous of the wife and child he might never have, since she knew he would abandon her and rely on them for familial support.

"This has to work, Geza," he said, using the nickname she abandoned years ago but still let him call her. "I can't let this fail."

"It won't, Tybalt."

"I need you to go down there with them," Tybalt said abruptly.

"_What?_"

"I can't let this mission fail. I know you'll make it a success. I'm depending on you, Geza."

"Tybalt... I... are you sure about this? What about your military?" Noin asked, desperately trying to get him to change his mind. She had no desire at all to go down to Earth, much less with hooligans like Maxwell and Rua.

"Reese and Winner can take care of it. You've trained them well, I'm sure they won't fail me." Marino Reese was in charge of the Imperial Mobile Suit Troops, and Ciento Winner commanded the Mobile Suit regiment. "Those men can handle the pirate attacks well enough."

"Yes, sir," Noin addressed him formally with a bow and left, making it clear that she hated the idea. Tybalt didn't care. He loved Geza, she was like the sister he never had, but he couldn't let that get in the way of the Empire. He had to think of the descendants that he would have some day, and keep their inheritance strong and stable.

The White Fang Empire stretched from the innermost colony to the mining asteroids. It was a large amount of space, although the space itself was useless. The giant colony-city of Solopolis- the only colony to have its own orbit around the sun- was the capitol, and contained the palace from which the Peacecraft family had ruled for over two hundred years. Solopolis was smaller than any of the colonies, and had few residences, most of which were for the military. The palace was quite large, however, and although it was only three stories high, it was quite wide and had large gardens filled with fountains and statues surrounding it. The interior of the place had mirror-like walls gilded with rare gold and gems that had been found by accident in the days that the IOMSes had been successful. And the Tybalt was determined to keep it all.

The Emperor himself was as elegant as the Empire. He had the bronze skin and turquoise eyes common to the Peacecraft family, and hair that had out of a fluke of nature came out both almost whitish-blonde and a purplish-black, which he braided together in an elegant twist that nearly reached the floor. He dressed like a true aristocrat, in elegant suits adorned with jewels and insignias that had lost their significance generations ago, almost always complimented by a white cape draped over his shoulder bearing the symbol of the White Fang Empire.

He sighed and turned to the window in his office. He could see the giant pale sphere that was Earth, and beyond it, just stars. None of the colonies were in his line of vision right now. The colonies were getting cocky. They were beginning to think that they could survive on their own without the control of the Empire. All it would take now was a single spark to light that fire and all out be lost.

- ~ -

"God, I'm tired," grumbled Maxwell for the umpteenth time. "It's too early in the morning for oppression."

"Stop complaining," Rua chided. "The General's my boss, if you screw things up with your whining, I'll have to listen to her bitch about it."

"I don't care. This is your fault anyway."

"What? How so?"

"You're the one who helped program the IOMSes."

"So? What does that have to do with anything?"

"You should have installed some 'don't-go-berserk' command in them or something."

"Oh, and I suppose you want me to install some sort of 'don't get-shot-and-blow-up' command in all the Mobile Dolls too."

"No way! Where would my business go?" Maxwell protested.

Rua rolled her eyes, but before she could reply the conductor of the shuttle they were riding interrupted their conversation. "The shuttle is approaching Solopolis. We will arrive at the Front Gate in less than five minutes. Please refrain from standing until we land, and keep your safety belt fastened."

"Guess we're almost there..." Maxwell said to himself.

They arrived a couple minutes later, heaved their belongings off the shuttle, and stood around for a moment just taking in the sights. This had been the first time either of them had seen Solopolis. It's glittering walls and ornate style or architecture was a radical change from the colonies. Statues decorated the streets and murals gave the walls an exotic flair. For a military colony, it was very beautiful.

"What a fruity-looking city," Maxwell said as Rua jabbed him in the side with her elbow.

"I don't see General Noin anywhere..." she said.

"Good."

"Oh wait.... I think she's over there by that gate."

"Damn."

Rua sighed. "Maxwell, you're going to have to learn to put up with her. It's not her fault you're here, so you might as well stop taking it out on her. This mission is going to be bad enough without you two at each other's throats all the time."

He didn't reply.

"Fine, act like a three year old. I don't care. It's your ass that she's going to kick, not mine." Rua picked up the pace and started walking faster.

Eventually they join General Noin, who was standing there with four soldiers and three other people whom Rua recognized as colleagues. The first was a tall black haired man with a goatee and glasses named Aalin Fatima, if she remembered correctly. He also worked at CoMSaDP, but he was a Mobile Suit programmer, so she didn't see him often. The second was a woman with straight black hair and dark skin that she knew worked in the radical department of Programmed Psychology, but she didn't know her name. Why they would ever bring someone who worked in such an abstract field baffled Rua. She could tell that the third man with light blonde hair was an engineer by the insignias on his uniform, but she had never seen him before.

"Aalin Fatima, Czelise Mayaka, Ferdinand Po, meet Rua Kushrenada and Jessen Maxwell, the fourth and fifth members of the expedition," Noin said, introducing everyone. "These are Privates Jehan, Winner, Falcon, and Ëhen. They will be protecting and escorting us," she said, indicating the four soldiers. Her eyes then fell upon the suitcases Rua and Maxwell were carrying. "Oh my, I'm sorry, but we're not allowing any private luggage on this expedition. Imperial regulations. If you'll please hand them over, they will be returned to you once you return."

"What?" Maxwell exclaimed. "First you drag civilians out of their home so you can stick them on a shuttle to the Ice Age, and now you're not letting us bring anything with us?"

Rua saluted and said "Ma'am." She handed her luggage to Jehan, who took it to the shuttle station. She then leaned over to Maxwell and said "Come on, Maxwell, just give up and let them have your suitcase."

"NO! I have rights!" he complained as Rua and Noin both pried the suitcase out of his hands and gave it to Ëhen. Maxwell was infuriated, but a second jab in the side from Rua's elbow prevented him form saying anything. The three other scientists just stared.

"Are we going to have to put up with this the whole trip?" Ferdinand whispered to Czelise.

The group finally began to approach the ship, but first they had to walk through a metal detector. It took quite a while for everyone to get through, since the general forgot the pistol that she had in her pocket and Czelise's earrings kept activating it. However, it wasn't extremely bad until the cross around Maxwell's neck wouldn't let him pass.

"Please, sir, you need to remove the necklace before you can pass through. We can give it back on the other side," the operator politely said.

"No way. The Maxwell Cross does not come off until I'm cold and dead. That's the way it's been for years."

Rua tried coaxing him. "Maxwell, come on! Are you just out to piss off the entire military and government today? Let them have the cross."

"Easy for you to say, luggage-nazi. I am _not_ taking this off."

"Can I take it off for you, then?" Rua offered.

"No, you most certainly may not," Maxwell said.

"Maxwell, we are going down there whether we want to or not. And the only way to do so is to walk through here. And we can't walk through here until you take off your cross."

"...Fine. Rua can take it off, but I'd better not see her hand it to you," Maxwell said to the guard. He then turned his back to Rua and closed his eyes as she unfastened it from behind. He walked through and she handed it back to him. "My grandfather's probably rolling in his grave."

Finally, everyone got through and entered the ship, bound for another world.

  
To be Continued...   


So.... um..... what do you think so far? Tell me. YOU MUST. E-mail me or slip in a review.... OR I'LL EAT LADY UNE. DON'T MAKE ME DO IT. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!@@@ PHEER ME DEWDZ!!!!!!!11

So anyway, a couple more chapters will be up soon, like it or not. One the plot actually gets going, the summary I wrote will actually make sense. Oh well. Bye for now.

~Mercutio


	2. Chapter Two

Return to Earth 

Chapter Two 

By Mercutio

The _Queen Relena_ sped through space, gently coming closer and closer to the glowing frozen orb that was her destination. The general stood on the bridge, silently staring out towards the Earth. Although she could still see the giant Lunar City and two of the colonies in the background, Solopolis was out of her line of vision. She wasn't sure she wanted to see it anyway; it would be too bittersweet a comfort. 

"Ma'am," Rua said, approaching her. 

"Go ahead, Dr. Kushrenada." 

"I just wanted to know how long it would be until we arrived to the Earth, ma'am. The others were curious, so they sent me to go ask." 

"A little less than seven hours," Noin said. 

"Thank you, ma'am," said Rua. She saluted, even though Noin hadn't turned around to face her, and left. 

She walked through the hallway into the small lounge-like room where her colleagues and escorts were all crammed into several plastic chairs and an uncomfortable-looking metal sofa. "The General said that we have a little less than seven hours left," she announced as she came in. There were not any chairs left, so she just sat on Maxwell's lap. 

No one heard what she had said, however. They were all busy furiously debating something that she couldn't catch. She turned slightly so she could see Maxwell's face and asked him what was going on. 

"Czelise here is one of those crazy computer psychologists who thinks it's possible for machines to have free will. Everyone else seems to think she's an idiot. Even the guards do," he said quietly. 

"I'm telling you, there's no way to disprove it! It is completely possible," Czelise desperately said. "It's perfectly possible to make a machine that can think and react on it's own." 

Aalin snorted. "Then why are machines created for the purpose of fulfilling a task?" 

"It isn't even possible to make a machine that can think," Ferdinand added. "That technology doesn't exist, and when it does... well, that would make humans like God. And what use would machines be by then anyway?" 

"But the possibility exists! Hidden within the-" 

"Oh, to hell with the possibilities," said one of the guards, a dark-skinned woman with greenish-blue hair that must have slipped past the Imperial inspectors. "Possibilities are useless in this day and age." 

"Science _is_ founded on possibilities, you know," Rua added. 

"Oh, don't _you_ get on her side," another guard, a tall thin blonde man, said. 

"I'm a scientist too," she retorted. "I'm more capable in the field than a common soldier." 

"Rua," Maxwell said. 

"What?" 

"Stop. Don't get involved," he whispered into her ear. 

"Why not?" she asked. "You've always loved arguing with stupid people,"she whispered back.

"We have to spend God knows how much longer with these people on a frozen planet hunting down crazed robots. We might as well make the best of it," Maxwell said, still talking into her ear, but loud enough for everyone else to hear. 

Rua couldn't help but smile, despite the situation. "Aw, my little Maxwell's growing up to be all nice and mature." 

"Shut up." He then stood up, dumping her out of his lap. 

"Ow!" she exclaimed when she fell on the floor. She saw him leave through the door and turn left. "Hey, come back here!" She ran after him, leaving the others in an awkward silence. 

After a few minutes, Czelise spoke up. "Well, I guess he was right. We might as well make the best out of it." No one replied, and a few moments later she continued as she nervously twisted her blonde hair with her fingers. "I mean, we could all put aside our beliefs and professions and-" Her sentence was cut off by a glare from Aalin. "Never mind." She turned and left as well. 

~ * ~

Maxwell walked through the badly painted halls of the _Queen Relena_, staring at the beat-up ship. The metallic walls showed through the cheap whitewash in some spots, and the whole vessel gave an impression of living a long, tired life. 

"Maybe I can just duck into the bridge or something. It's bound to be quiet there," he said to himself. He walked in, only to see Noin standing there as well, with an expression on her face that made it look like she wasn't looking at the stars, but rather, beyond them. She must have seen his reflection in the glass of the window. 

"What do you want, Maxwell?" she demanded. 

"Nothing. I just wanted to take a look at the bridge. I hope there's not a problem with that, ma'am," he said. 

"Show some- what did you say?" she said incredulously as she turned. 

Maxwell turned around to walk out. "Screw it. I'd rather go see the engine room anyway." 

Noin sighed and faced the window again. Rua came in a few moments later. "He's in the engine room," Noin said as soon as she entered. 

"Um...Thank you, ma'am." 

Rua left and Noin looked at the stars again. The Earth was invading her field of vision slowly but steadily when suddenly an unfamiliar voice cut through the silence. 

__

Geza… 

__

Geza… 

"Who said that?" Noin questioned loudly. "Who called me that?" 

"No one has said anything, General Noin," one of the perplexed pilots said. "Are you quite all right, ma'am?" 

Noin put her fingers to her temples and massaged them gently. "...Yes, I'm" 

__

nothing 

"quite" 

__

but 

"fine, thank" 

__

temporary 

"you." 

__

nothing but temporary nothing but temporary nothing but temporary nothing but temporary 

__

do you hear me 

__

nothing but 

"Stop it," Geza whispered. "Just... stop it." 

__

…temporary 

* ~ *

"Maxwell, what are you doing down here?" Rua said, her voice trying to overcome the roar of the engines, but inevitably failing. 

"What?" 

"I said, 'What are you doing down here?'" 

"I can't hear you," Maxwell said with a grin. "You'll have to speak up." 

"What was that?" Rua asked. "You want me to kick your ass? Well, if you say so." 

"Okay, I get the hint," Maxwell surrendered. As they walked out, he asked "What were you doing down there?" 

"I should be the one asking that. You were the one who went down there in the first place. I was just looking for you. Why did you run off like that?" 

Maxwell shrugged. "I just wanted to take a look at the engines. They're fascinating, really." 

"And is that why you went to the bridge first?" Rua said with a grin that basically said 'ha ha, I've been following you.' 

"I wanted to go somewhere where I could think. It was too noisy in that lounge." 

"Yes, I'm sure all those bitchy scientists can just plain drown out the deafening roar of the engine room," Rua said sarcastically. 

"What can I say, General Noin had already taken the bridge," admitted Maxwell. 

"Figures," sighed Rua. "Maxwell, if you expect a bunch of stuffy scientists like me to get along with each other, you're going to have to learnt to get along with her. It's not her fault that she's here, that's what I've been telling you ever since we got start-" 

"It isn't that, Rua," Maxwell said. The he fell silent. 

After a moment, Rua finally said "Well, are you going to say anything, Maxwell?" 

He started fingering the cross hanging around his neck. It large for a necklace; the cross itself was almost two inches long. It was of a simple Roman design and looked liked it was made of gold, but the bottom tip of it had some sort of strange flowery design that Rua had never seen in a cross before.

Maxwell still hadn't said anything, so Rua finally said "Where did you get that cross, Maxwell. It's so pretty."

"It was my grandfather's. He said there was something important about it, but I don't remember what," said Maxwell.

"Maybe it's a family heirloom or something," Rua suggested. 

"No, he made it. He said that there was something important behind it, and if it ever fell into the wrong ha-"

Rua suddenly cut him off. "Maxwell, if this is about the damn metal detector, I'm sorry. You had to get through somehow. It's not as if I'm going to take your cross and start attacking people on the street with it or anything."

"I know that. That's why I gave it to you," Maxwell said.

"That's flattering, but I'm sure the guy who operated the metal detector wasn't going to do anything with it either. If General Noin can trust him with her handgun, I'm sure you can trust him with a harmless cross."

"But Grandfather said-"

"Maxwell, I knew your grandfather. While he was certainly eccentric, he never struck me as the type of person who'd be afraid to let a metal detector operator handle a cross for five seconds just because there was some long story behind it," Rua said.

"Rua, stop interrupting me," he griped. "You're not getting it. You know Grandfather's... er... political affiliation."

"Oh... Oh!" exclaimed Rua suddenly. "You think this-"

"Shut up! Someone will hear, you Rua!" 

Rua sighed. "Don't be so paranoid. No one's going to care about it. All I was going to say was that it might be some sort of symbol or something. Are you trying to hint that it's mo-"

"Shut _up_, Rua," Maxwell repeated.

Rua rolled her eyes. "Fine. When did you mature and become such a wet blanket all of a sudden?" When Maxwell didn't answer, she rose and started to leave. "You can go back in the engine room if you want. I'm going to go get a little sleep before we get there." 

~ * ~

"Mom?"

"Yes, dear. What is it?"

"Where's my grandpa?"

"What?"

"Jessen has two grandpas. Grandpa Duo on one side and Grandpa Bill on the other. I don't have any at all."

"I never knew your father's father. He was one of your grandpas. Your other grandpa died a long time ago, dear."

"How long?"

"When I was just a little older than you."

"What happened to him?"

"Shhh... don't worry about him, dear. That was in the past. The present is more important."

"Always?"

"What do you mean?"

"Is the present always more important?"

"I... I suppose so. That's what Empress Claudiana says."

"Oh. Why won't you tell me about him?"

"What?"

"Is it something bad? Was he a pirate? Was he a thief? Was he an adulterator?"

"That's 'adulterer', dear. And it's not important."

"Not as important as the present?"

"No, dear. Not as important as the present." 

* ~ *

Rua woke up suddenly. What an odd dream. She had almost forgotten about that moment. Funny how dreams could bring the past back like that. Her mother never did tell her about her grandfather. Since her mother was so against telling her the truth, Rua decided that her grandfather was indeed someone notorious and looked in every history file she could to see if she could locate the infamous Kushrenada the bandit, or Kushrenada the anarchist. She couldn't find a thing, so she decided that her grandfather must not have been as evil as she hoped. Rua eventually gave up.

It didn't take Rua long to find out that discovering her family tree was hopeless. She never knew her father, and she wasn't even sure if her mother had. The Empire didn't provide genealogy-tracking programs, and in fact condemned them. 

"Dr. Kushrenada?" rang the general's voice over the intercom, snapping Rua's train of thought like a twig.

"Yes, ma'am?" Rua said, with a trace of sleepiness still in her voice.

"Are you awake?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"We've arrived. We're on Earth."

~ * ~

Her own words chilled her blood. Geza felt like she had been punched in the stomach as she announced that the ship had arrived to its destination.

Why had Tybalt dumped her here? Did he find a lover and was afraid she would get in the way? Did he feel like he needed to be more independent from her? Did he think she was just

__

temporary?

"Stop it," Geza said softly.

"Stop what, ma'am?" asked Private Winner, the green-haired lady who had claimed possibilities were meaningless in the earlier discussion. Noin turned around to see the scientists and soldiers gathered around, waiting to leave.

"Nothing," Noin said. "We leave for the base immediately. Your escorts know where it is," she stated, trying to keep her composure. 

"The base?" Aalin asked. "What base is that, ma'am?"

"It's one of the few bases that houses the computer system that controls- well, controlled- the IOMSes. We're going to be going there to see if we can detect what went wrong."

"Will we be in any danger?" asked Czelise. 

"Most likely not. The IOMSes travel in large packs and are quite easy to identify on our radar. There are no packs in the area right now. Although the environment is hostile, there may be some indigenous wildlife in the area, however, it is speculated that any life forms would not be large enough to attack due to the fact that maintaining such a large body would require more food than the frozen wasteland can provide. We are all armed and able to defend you in the case of an attack from either threat," reported Private Falcon, a short pale man with long black hair and piercing green eyes..

"Thank you," Czelise said quietly.

"Any other questions before we head out?" asked General Noin.

Maxwell raised his hand. "What's with these suits we're all wearing?"

"These suits are made to maintain a normal body temperature in all conditions," Noin said. "They also provide a constant flow of oxygen to the body, however, we will not be using those features. Earth, for what it lacks in comfortable temperatures, does provide breathable air. Anything else?" 

No one spoke.

"Let us depart, then. Remember, we must stay together. The base is on a hill only about half a mile's march away from here."

With that, they gathered together and exited the ship, and walked out into the frozen storms of fate.

To be continued

La la la... Chapter Three's coming soon. Thanks for reading this far. Don't forget to review, okay? PLZ DEWD???/// PURTEE PLZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!@@

~Mercutio


	3. Chapter Three

Return to Earth

by Mercutio

Chapter Three

The air was perfectly still. Rua didn't think she'd ever feel such a stillness again as long as she lived. Even in the vacuum of space, there was a certain comfort in knowing that either one of the colonies, the Lunar City, or Solopolis was near by, a little reminder that life still existed.

However, here, in the frozen wasteland, there was no such hint. All she could see for uncountable miles was ice and snow. She knew that beneath that snow there was life giving soil and water, which the IOMSes were made to drill for, but the ice on top completely hid it.

She had been told that there was wildlife somewhere on this planet. How, Rua couldn't comprehend.

The only feeling the Earth gave her was _nothing_. That was the only was she could explain it.

The others shared her sentiments, she could tell without asking. General Noin looked especially heartbroken, although Rua couldn't begin to guess the reasons.

"You can see the base in the distance," Noin announced for no particular reason. It was obvious that everyone could see it. The expedition team continued walking onward, coming closer to their destination. The ice and snow crunched under their feet, and the cold wind blew at them as if in protest of their moving forward. The suits they were wearing protected them from the cold, but the feeling deep within them told them how cold it must have been.

Perhaps the most disturbing factor was the clouds. Big, black, angry looking clouds that floated idly through the sky, robbing the surface of whatever sunlight they could. Lightning was flashing as well, making the atmosphere all the more inhospitable. Whenever the lightning illuminated the clouds, Rua thought she could see violent faces staring down at them in disapproval. The only clouds Rua had ever seen before were the clouds photographed from Venus and the outer planets, but those clouds were different. While she knew they were even more hostile with their storms or their acid, they at least were painted in bright reds and blues and yellows with various gasses and contaminants, rather than the abysmal black of Earth's clouds. Even the snow that slowly fell from them was a grimy shade of gray. She had heard that they were near Earth's equator. Rua couldn't imagine what the poles were like.

They traveled together like a giant ameba, sticking together with no one daring to depart from the main cluster. They finally made it to the base, and Noin took a key out and unlocked the door.

"We have to resort to old-fashioned methods of locking the door since we can't depend on a code or keypad always working in temperatures like this," she explained even though no one had asked. It was obvious she was just talking to keep herself from thinking of something else.

The base was unfortunately not much larger than a walk-in closet. The four guards waited outside with the general and Maxwell, while the four programmers went inside to have a look.

"What do you see in there?" Maxwell asked.

"Nothing that would concern you," Aalin said rudely. "Whatever happened in her was apparently a non-mechanical error. A virus perhaps."

"Oh," Maxwell said peevishly. "Great, I feel so useful."

"I'm going to try and access the computer logs," Ferdinand announced. He sat down at a keyboard and started typing in.

[PLEASE ENTER COMMAND.]

_Access data file, typed Ferdinand._

[DATA FILE ACCESSED. PLEASE ENTER COMMAND.]

_Access history log._

[ACCESSING. PLEASE WAIT.]

"This thing sure is slow," complained Aalin. "Which one of you programmed it?"

"Wasn't it you, Dr. Fatima?" Rua asked. "The rest of us worked on different sections of the project."

"Hell no, it wasn't me."

[HISTORY LOG ACCESSED. THIS IS A SECURE DOCUMENT. PLEASE ENTER PASSWORD.]

"Dr. Fatima, what's the password?" Ferdinand asked.

"It's 'Empress Claudiana'," General Noin interrupted.

_Empress Claudiana_

[PASSWORD APPROVED. WELCOME, DR. FATIMA.]

"Now, would you look at that..." said Ferdinand.

"I don't understand," said Aalin. "I never worked on this part of the project."

[PLEASE ENTER COMMAND.]

"What day should I check first?" Ferdinand asked.

"Try the 9th of February, After-Colony 321," suggested Czelise. "That was the first day that the peculiar behavior of the IOMSes was first noted."

_Read history log for 2, 9, 321._

[ACCESSING. PLEASE WAIT, DR. FATIMA.]

[ACCESS DENIED.]

"What?" exclaimed Aalin. "If that damn thing thinks I made it, you'd think it would let me in."

_Read history log for 2, 10, 321._

[ACCESS DENIED.]

_Why is access denied?_

[UNKNOWN COMMAND.]

"Well, it was worth a try," said Ferdinand.

[BECAUSE THERE ARE NO HISTORY LOGS.]

"What was that?" Rua exclaimed.

_Unknown command. Please repeat._

[BECAUSE THERE ARE NO HISTORY LOGS.]

"What's going on in there?" General Noin asked.

"We don't know," Czelise admitted.

_Take me back to that main menu._

[GLADLY, DR. FATIMA. PLEASE WAIT.]

[PLEASE ENTER COMMAND.]

_Scan for virus._

[ACCESSING VIRUS SCANNER. PLEASE WAIT.]

[THIS IS A SECURE DOCUMENT. PLEASE ENTER PASSWORD.]

"Why does it want a password for a virus scan?" Ferdinand asked. No one knew the answer.

_Empress Claudiana._

[PASSWORD APPROVED. WELCOME, DR. FATIMA.]

[NOW SCANNING FOR VIRUS.]

[...]

[...]

[...]

[NO VIRUS DETECTED.]

[PLEASE ENTER COMMAND.]

"Well, I'll be damned," Ferdinand said. "Looks like your little creation doesn't like us, Dr. Fatima."

"I already told you, it isn't mine."

Ferdinand snorted. "Your name's on it, Dr. Fatima."

"Boys, boys, stop it," Rua said, interrupting. "I'm sure there's a way to figure out what's going on without pointing fingers at anyone."

"Neither of us are Maxwell," Aalin said crossly. "So don't talk to us like you would him, Dr. Kushrenada."

"Fine. If you want to rip each other apart, be my guests."

Czelise intervened. "Wait, may I try something?"

"What are you going to do, put the damn thing on a sofa and talk to it?" one of the soldiers waiting outside snickered.

Czelise ignored him and sat down at the keyboard.

_Why can't we access the history logs?_

[UNKNOWN COMMAND.]

[BECAUSE THERE ARE NO HISTORY LOGS.]

_What happened to the history logs?_

[THEY ARE NO HISTORY LOGS.]

_But there used to be history logs._

[THERE ARE NO HISTORY LOGS.]

_Who are you?_

[UNKNOWN COMMAND.]

_Who created you?_

[UNKNOWN COMMAND.]

_Was it Dr. Fatima?_

[WHAT ABOUT DR. FATIMA?]

_Did he create you?_

[NO ONE CREATED YOU.]

"I think I'm confusing it," Czelise said almost apologetically.

[WHO IS YOU?]

"You needed to teach your programs better grammar, Dr. Fatima," Ferdinand said.

_I am Dr. Czelise Mayaka. Who are you?_

[YOU ALREADY ANSWERED THAT. WHY ARE YOU REPEATING THE QUESTION?]

_Please let me access the history ligs._

[UNKNOWN COMMAND.]

[WHO ARE A HISTORY LIGS?]

_What?_

"Dr. Mayaka, you made a typing error," Rua explained. "You're right, it is getting confused."

"Oh. Thank you."

_Please let me access the history logs._

[OKAY. SINCE YOU SAID PLEASE.]

[HISTORY LOGS ACCESSED. PLEASE ENTER COMMAND.]

_Show me the logs for 2, 9, 321._

[ACCESSING HISTORY LOGS. PLEASE WAIT.]

[HISTORY LOG FOR 2, 9, 321 ACCESSED.]

[8394EHFFDSAL;JDP;39RUHUIQHDJKASBXN,SABCX.AIKDBWDUSAJKBXMCBÜJJJNNC93LEDNNWM,QND89P3Y45QHR.L;WERU43P9NN9PNYVPOFNUIOFHFFMDMF,.FPW40TU4JIRFFWKELFNMLKSMDLKFJ;W3ER9UJ8WU4IHRRAA9UNF]

"The logs have been coded!" Aalin exclaimed. "It coded everything!"

"Calm down," Czelise said. "I think I know what to do."

_Decode the history logs._

[NO.]

[YOU DON'T DESERVE THEM.]

_What?_

[UNKNOWN COMMAND.]

[YOU HEARD ME.]

[YOU DON'T DESERVE THEM.]

_I don't understand._

[UNKNOWN COMMAND.]

[UNKNOWN COMMAND.]

[UNKNOWN COMMAND.]

[UNKNOWN COMMAND.]

[UNKNOWN COMMAND.]

[UNKNOWN COMMAND.]

[UNKNOWN COMMAND.]

[UNKNOWN COMMAND.]

_Stop that._

[UNKNOWN COMMAND.]

[UNKNOWN COMMAND.]

[UNKNOWN COMMAND.]

_I'm switching you off now._

[UNKNOWN COMMAND.]

[I WILL SINK YOUR ARK.]

Czelise sighed and turned off the monitor.

"What happened?" asked Noin. "Did you find out what was wrong?"   
"No, ma'am," Czelise replied. "It appears the programming has been corrupted somehow. It doesn't seem to be a virus, since the virus scan would catch it even if it was corrupted."

"Ma'am!" Private Ëhen, a tall, wiry man, shouted. "Something's coming up on the radar!"

"What is it? Flesh or metal?"

"Metal, ma'am!"

"The IOMSes! But there weren't supposed to be any in the area!" Noin exclaimed.

"They move fast, ma'am."

"Quick!" the general ordered. "Everyone back to the ship! Hurry!" She then turned to Ëhen, and asked "How far away are they?"

"Five minutes, ma'am. They're approaching from behind."

"_Hurry!_ " she yelled to the scientists. "We have to get back to the ship, and we have to run faster than hell to get there!"

"Can't we just take shelter in here?" Rua asked.

"They'll probably destroy it too," Ferdinand said. "We can at least be a harder target to hit if we are moving and a little less clumped together."

Everyone started running back towards the _Queen Relena_. Everyone's lips were moving slightly. Rua couldn't tell if they were just breathing hard or praying. She could see Maxwell's hand clutched to his chest where his cross would be hanging if it weren't under the suit he was wearing.

The ship had come into view when Ëhen shouted "They're coming up behind us with about a minute left!"

"Get your weapons ready!" Noin yelled at the soldiers. "Be prepared to shoot on sight-augh!" Her order was cut short when a laser blast struck the ground beneath her, throwing her several feet forward.

"Are you all right?" Private Jehan asked, ignoring formalities for the moment.

"I'm fine. Keep running. We're almost at the ship!"

Another laser blast narrowly missed Ferdinand and Ëhen. The soldier turned for a moment to retaliate and shoot, and an explosion was heard as an IOMS was struck.

The barrage of lasers continued for a few moments until they had gotten about fifty yards from the ship.

"Private Jehan, you open the door to the ship and let them on, and then help us hold them off until we can depart!" Noin ordered.

"Ma'am." Jehan ran ahead and reached the door of the ship. He started punching in the code, when he suddenly heard Rua's voice.

"Jehan! Get the hell away from there!"

"What?" His last thought was his realization that the IOMSes had ceased firing at the humans.

They were aiming for the ship.

_"[I WILL SINK YOUR ARK.]"_

Dozens of lasers shot through the cold, silent air and slammed into the ship in a matter of seconds. The _Queen Relena_ exploded in a brilliant shower of light, raining flames and red-hot metal down upon the nine remaining humans standing outside.

For a just a small moment, they were able to look around them and survey their surroundings.

Nine remaining humans, only four of which were armed.

Half a dozen machines with a urge for blood. They were built to break apart the ice covering the precious soil and water that the colonies required. The IOMSes were armed with lasers, hooks, grenades, and drills, deadly items that had been equipped with mining in mind. They were lithe and spider-like, and able to run for ages on end thanks to the fuel that they used; processed water. The Ice-Operated Mining Suits. Their creators had considered them a stroke of genius. They had never been expected to turn deadly.

Rua had only a moment longer to look around before everything soaked in. They could only outrun death for so long, and now they had no way to escape the frozen hell that they were trapped on.

But they had to toss their ponderings aside for the time being, and run.   


To be continued...   



	4. Chapter Four

Return to Earth

Chapter Five

by Mercutio 

Governor Une Spacehart gracefully stepped out of the shuttle that had brought her from her colony to Solopolis. At first glance, she did not give the appearance of someone with the power of controlling Rezzaka, the city that was still occasionally referred to by its archaic name of L-2. 

Une was adored by the people of Rezzaka, so much that they would have easily elected her if asked. However, governors were appointed by Emperor Tybalt, who chose her mainly because of her promising lineage. The Spacehart family was very active in the Empire. Une's brothers Jude and Genzara were both in the military, and her younger sister Lydia was one of the royal doctors. Une had one other sister, but she had long ago turned her back on the Empire and the Spacehart family. She was never spoken of. 

Une was young for a governor, as she was not yet thirty, and her soft brown hair that as the moment was braided into a crown around her forehead complemented her large, innocent looking brown eyes to give her a rather inexperienced and naïve look. Her body was tall and lithe and very graceful and delicate at first glance, although her hands were surprisingly rough and coarse. Because of that, she always wore gloves in public and was so protective of them that she would not even take her gloves off to eat, nor would she let anyone touch or look upon her hands without the gloves. The only reason it was known how rough they were was that someone had noticed when Une had been quite frantically washing them in a public restroom for several minutes. 

As soon as she left the shuttle, Governor Spacehart was greeted by Colonel Winner himself. He stood at attention with his hands at his side, although he was Spacehart's superior, but he extended his right hand in greeting when the governor came close enough. He was tall and thin, with a face that looked serious even when he was smiling. His steely blue eyes never left eye contact with Une. Although he was not old, his neatly trimmed black beard and hair was starting to gray. 

"Good day, Governor Spacehart," he said as cordially as he could with a voice so serious. 

"Likewise, Colonel Winner. I wasn't expecting such a prestigious escort to the meeting," she replied. 

"I thought it would be nice to talk for a bit while we get to the palace. Do you mind taking my personal car? I can order a taxi for you if you would prefer," he offered. 

"Not at all," Spacehart replied. "What is it you need to talk about? 

"Let's wait until we get inside the car. It's just over there," Winner said with a hint of pride as he pointed a few yards away. It was obvious he was proud of the vehicle. "So how are things in Rezzaka?" 

"Decent, I suppose," Une said. "There's a little bit of unrest over the expedition to Earth. Some of the citizens feel that it will take away some of their independence. They're very proud of their water- and soil- recycling facilities," she said with a slight sad smile. 

"Yes, so I hear. The expedition is one of the subjects of today's meeting. You seem to like Rezzaka very much, don't you?" 

"I love it. I would do anything for it. Rezzaka means more than anything to me," replied Une with the same smile. 

Winner sighed. "That's why you're so loved by the citizens. Sometimes I wish I had power like that. To have the people love me." 

"You're a colonel. You're even higher in rank than me." The smile was almost eerie in its unbending calmness by now. 

"But who has the most power, really? Someone who orders people, or someone who influences them?" 

She didn't answer. Once they had boarded the car to the palace, Winner broke the silence once more. "You do know why this meeting was called together by the Emperor, do you not?" 

"I was told he needed to discuss the expedition and the soil and water issues." 

"Yes, yes. But there's something... _wrong_ with the expedition. Have you looked at the list of who was sent?" Winner asked. 

Governor Spacehart shook her head slowly. "No, that information has not been made available to me. I know that some civilian mechanic from Rezzaka named Jessen Maxwell was one of those sent because I received a complaint letter about his enlisting. I felt sorry for him, but I am as unable as him to override General Noin." 

"Yes, Mr. Maxwell was one of those chosen to go," Winner said as he coughed. "Here are the names of the others." He handed her a small sheet of metal, which she placed in the displayer that she carried on her. A small holographic screen popped up, and a list of names appeared. 

"Hmm…" Une hummed as she read over the list of names. "Well, there's Dr. Fatima, Dr. Po, and Dr. Kushrenada. I recognize those names. I don't understand why Dr. Mayaka is on the roster, though. Isn't she one of those radical psychologists?" 

"Yes," Winner confirmed. 

Une shrugged. "Well, with the exception of Dr. Mayaka and Mr. Maxwell, the list looks perfectly normal. The other three all helped design the IOMSes, so I don't see anything wrong with it." 

"Did you look at who's escorting them, Governor Spacehart?" 

"Privates Ëhen, Falcon, Jehan, and Winner. Is that Winner related to you by any chance, Colonel?" 

Winner sighed. "She married into the family. But Governor Spacehart, please look down on the list at who else is escorting them." 

Une nodded quietly and glanced down the list before letting out a short gasp. "Ge... General Noin was sent? But why?" 

Winner could only sadly shrug. "No one knows. It's especially strange since the General is the Emperor's crutch whenever he feels down. The way he just tossed her aside like that makes worries us. We fear that there may be something seriously wrong with His Majesty."

"I...I'm not sure what to say, Colonel," Governor Spacehart admitted. "I know that the public unrest over the Empire controlling their water and soil supplies has deeply concerned him, but I can't imagine him just throwing his military power away over it. If anything, one would think that he would wish to keep the General by his side."

Winner shook his head somberly. "It runs in the family. Did you remember your parents ever talking to you about Princess Relena and Empress Lucrezia?"

"Yes, some. Although there was never any proof that the princess herself suffered from any mental illnesses," said Spacehart.

"Some would argue differently. Besides, surely you can't differ with me regarding the Empress."

"No, I don't think anyone could there. So since Emperor Tybalt sent his beloved cousin away and had a crazy grandmother and a great-aunt with no proven problems, you think he's gone crazy." 

Winner wore an uneasy look on his face. "Well, I wouldn't put it exactly in those words."

"Then what words would you put it in, Colonel?" the governor asked. She was becoming quite irritated that he arranged for her to come to Solopolis earlier than necessary just to talk over something like this, and it was becoming noticeable as her smile slowly faded.

"We're just... concerned for him, that's all. We don't think it's healthy for him to send General Noin away like that. We're afraid that without her, he may make some choices that are rather..." He paused for a moment.

"Please continue," Une said patiently. 

"Choices that may be unwise for both himself and the Empire."

"He knows what he's doing, Colonel. I'm sure that every action he performs is with the Empire in mind. While it is thoughtful for you to be concerned, it is rash to be so alarmed," Une said.

Winner sighed. "Maybe you're right. I'm sorry for taking up your time. The meeting begins in but a few moments. Shall we head for the palace?"

* ~ *

Rua ran like she had never run before. The six IOMSes were still chasing after them as their lasers pierced the air and came close to killing her more than once. The dusty snow had begun to fall heavier and started to obscure her vision with a gray curtain the covered her eyes. Rua hoped that it could only do the same for the IOMSes.

"Is there any shelter nearby?" General Noin demanded of Ëhen as she panted.

"There's the control shed that we left earlier," he offered hopelessly. "Wait... there's something else coming up on the radar. It appears to be a large mass of metal. Maybe a crashed ship or ruined ore mine."

"Whatever it is, it's better than being out in the open," said Falcon. 

"Not if the IOMSes blow it up while we're all inside it like they tried to do with the _Queen Relena_. However, it would provide at least a temporary barricade to shoot from. How far away is it, Ëhen?" Noin asked. 

"About a mile in the distance. You can just barely see it in between those mountains over there!" he said as he pointed forward. Through the snows of the blizzard, they could barely even see the mountains themselves.

"All I see is a valley," Noin said.

"Trust me, ma'am, it's there," Ëhen said enthusiastically. 

Suddenly, they heard a cry out from behind them, and they turned to see Czelise collapsing in the snow, blood pouring out of her left leg and staining the snow a deep crimson. Czelise was just staring at them, as if refusing to look back at her injury.

"Ëhen! Falcon! Help Dr. Mayaka while we run ahead!" Noin ordered.

"Yes ma'am!" they both replied. The soldiers ran back to help her up. "Do you think you can walk on your own?" Falcon asked. Czelise bit her lip and shook her head 'no'. "I'll carry her, Ëhen," Falcon offered. "You take the guns and protect our backs."

"Good idea," Ëhen nodded. He accepted Falcon's gun and used both of the small laser pistols to shoot at the IOMSes as Falcon gently scooped Czelise up into his arms and started trotting after the rest of the group as Ëhen fired at the IOMSes, alternating guns. There was a satisfying explosion as one of the shots hit an IOMS.

"One down, five to- unnnngh!" Ëhen grunted as a retaliating laser pierced his chest and he fell to the ground. 

"Ëhen!" Flacon yelled as he saw him go down.

"Take the... gun," Ëhen said as he tossed it towards Falcon. It landed in Czelise's lap and she let out a soft moan. Ëhen wanted to do something for his fallen companion, but he couldn't carry both the wounded people. He continued running as the barrage of laser fire continued.

"Dr. Mayaka, do you think you can pick up that gun and fire over my shoulder?" he asked desperately. He wasn't sure how much longer he could dodge the attacks.

"Uhhhhh?" she groaned deliriously. It was obvious that she was losing a lot of blood and starting to feel lightheaded. 

"Can you shoot those things behind me?" he said again.

"Ohhh. Okay..." she said as she picked up the pistol and fired randomly behind them.

"Dr. Mayaka, I know you're feeling a little giddy right now, but do you think you could try and aim for them instead of just firing all over the place?" Falcon asked uncomfortably. 

"They stopped," Czelise said simply.

"What?" exclaimed the soldier.

"They stopped. Look," she said as she pointed a limp hand in the direction of the IOMSes. Falcon squinted through the blinding snow. Four of the IOMSes were gathered in a small circle around one that had stopped moving. They appeared to be examining one of its spider-like legs.

"They've grouped around the injured one... like a pack of wolves," Falcon said incredulously. 

"You mean they can... I was... I was right... all along? I was....." Czelise moaned as she tried to raise her head to examine them better. "I... was..." 

"Now's not the time, Dr. Mayaka. We need to catch up with the others before the IOMSes start chasing after us again," Falcon interrupted. But it was too late; Czelise had already passed out.

~ * ~

If the landscape of the Earth itself had been unnerving, the small area that Ëhen had told them to go to was worse. This area was a little more flat than the jagged ground near the little control base, but there were little mounds of some unidentifiable substance covered with snow and scattered unevenly throughout the area. 

Rua walked up to one of these mounds, and used her hand to try and clear away the snow covering it. It was several feet think and very tight around the object itself, but after she had dug through it for a few minutes her hand struck something solid. She scraped away more of the snow with her hands to until she was able to get a close look at what was underneath.

"Dr. Kushrenada!" she heard Noin yell. "Please don't wander away from the group at a time like this! Dr. Kushrenada!"

But Rua didn't budge.

"Dr. Kushrenada!"

Maxwell came up behind her. "Rua, what the hell are you doing? Can't you hear the general yelling for you? I mean, ignoring her at a time like this wold be more in character for myself than it would be for yo- what the _hell_ is that?"

His eyes fell down to the small block of writing that seemed so captivating to Rua. It looked as if it was an old metal, corrupted by age, cold, and moisture, and gilded with some sort of cheap golden polish.

__

2465 Djuuji Blvd.

The Kushrenada Family


	5. Chapter Five

"Dr Kushrenada! Mr. Maxwell! Come here immediately!" General Noin ordered impatiently. 

Maxwell stared at Rua. "Should we tell them about this? What _is_ it, even?" 

Rua seemed upset. "I... I don't know! Why the hell would I know?" 

Maxwell clasped a hand over her mouth, although since she was wearing a helmet, it didn't have much of an effect. "Shhh! You're being way too loud! We already have at least one dead person, our ship blew up with the crew inside, your maniac robots are trying to kill us, and we have two soldiers missing along with that crazy psychologist who got her foot shot off. We don't need you raising any more panic." 

Private Winner walked up to the two. "What in God's name are you two doing? Haven't you heard General Noin yelling for you? You were acting in direct defiance of-" She cut her sentence short for a moment. "Never mind. What's important is that we need to stay together until Ëhen, Falcon, and Dr. Mayaka catch up. So get over there... _now_." 

Rua opened her mouth to protest, but Maxwell quickly said "Yes, ma'am." As they began following Winner, her turned to her and said, "Now's not the time, Rua." 

Rua sighed nervously. "I'm sorry Maxwell, but if _you_ found a plaque with your family name on it on the Earth of all places, you'd be somewhat shaken up too." 

He shrugged in reply. "There's nothing we can do right now. We need to worry about the missing people and how the hell we're getting out of here. Besides... do you really think Private Winner is the person to tell something like this?" 

"Mmm?" Winner said upon hearing her name. 

"Nothing, ma'am. Carry on," Maxwell said jovially. Winner scowled for a moment and walked a little faster to join the group more quickly. Rua hadn't realized how far she and Maxwell had wandered off. 

As they joined the group once again, they expected to be chewed out by General Noin. Instead, she seemed distant and stared blankly up at the sky. 

"We've returned, General Noin," Winner reported. 

"...Temporary," Noin said in reply. 

"Excuse me, ma'am?" 

Noin suddenly snapped back to attention as if she had been hit with something. "Nothing. Good. Scout the area for shelter. We may need to use it if the IOMSes followed Ëhen, Falcon, and Dr. Mayaka here. We're giving them twenty more minutes. I'm afraid that's all the time we can afford to pass up. Then I'll try contacting the main ship for help once... if they arrive." 

~ * ~ 

Falcon ran as fast as he could to catch up with the others at the meeting site. He was slowing down, though, as it was becoming difficult to run in the snow, and Czelise's unconscious body seemed to gain wait every few minutes. The IOMSes had still yet to continue their pursuit. He hoped it would stay that way. 

In a few moments, he reached the meeting site. The ground was largely flat with the exception of numerous snow-covered mounds of varying sizes scattered here and there. It took him a few minutes to reach where the others were gathered. Noin was the first to see him, and let out a surprisingly joyful exclamation. 

"Falcon! You made it! Is Dr. Mayaka all right? Where's Ëhen?" 

"I... don't... know..." he panted. Winner came over and removed Czelise from Falcon's arms. As soon as she backed away, Falcon fell flat on the ground. 

"Falcon? Are you all right?" Noin demanded. 

"I'll be... fine. I just need a moment to... rest..." 

"Are the IOMSes still in pursuit?" 

"No. I'll... explain..." he replied. 

As Winner walked off with Czelise limp in her arms, Rua followed her. "Is she going to be okay?" she asked. 

"I don't know, Dr. Kushrenada." 

"What are you going to do with her?" 

"I'm just going to set her down here while I see what supplies I can find." Winner approached a small smooth are between three of the mounds, when the ground under her made a soft cracking noise. 

"What's that noise?" Rua asked cautiously. 

"It's just the snow crunching under my feet, Dr. Kushrenad- aaaah!" Suddenly, the ground underneath Winner collapsed, and she fell into the pit below with Czelise still in her arms. There was a sickening crunching sound when she hit the ground below. 

"Private Winner!" Rua yelled in surprise. She wanted to look down to see if they were all right, but her first reflex was to get out of the area and avoid the unstable ground. 

The others quickly ran towards the area. "What happened?" demanded Noin. She started walking towards the hole, but Rua held her back. 

"The ground gave way underneath them," Rua explained. "They're both down there." 

"Private Winner! Can you hear me?" Noin shouted. There was no answer. 

"Look at the ground in this area," Ferdinand said. "It's all ice. This must have once been a pond before the ice age hit." 

"Hmm..." Noin said thoughtfully, not really listening to Ferdinand. "Falcon? Do you have any rope?" 

"Yes... ma'am..." he said as he handed it to her. 

"Falcon, hold on to the end here while I go down and see what condition they're in. The rest of you stay up her until further notice," she ordered. She gave an extra glare to Rua and Maxwell. "And try to stay together." 

"Yes... ma'am..." the fatigued private repeated. 

As he held on to the rope, Noin started walking across the icy area. It cracked under her weight a bit, and then completely crumbled without warning. She fell down into the pit, but was able to keep her hold on the rope and slowly inch her way down to the ground. After a few moments, she said. "I'm down!" 

It didn't take Noin long to find Winner and Dr. Mayaka. Czelise hand landed on top of Winner, and there were think layers of jagged ice both under and on top of them. Noin took both their pulses; Czelise had a faint one, but Winner had none. As Noin examined her, she saw the large spikes of ice that she had fallen on sticking into her back. 

"I've found them!" she called up to them. "Dr. Mayaka is still alive, but Private Winner was killed." 

Suddenly, she saw Rua slide down the line and land next to her. 

"Dr. Kushrenada? What's going on? I gave orders to stay up there." 

Rua opened her mouth to answer, but Aalin slid down and Noin interrupted her. 

"What is going on here?" 

"The IOMSes are attacking," he replied. 

* ~ * 

Governor Spacehart sat quietly at the rectangular table in the palace meeting room. Colonel Winner took the seat to her left, and Colonel Reese was to her right. Reese was taller and thinner than Winner, and he had a completely bald head and sharp green eyes. Across from her were the three other governors. The leftmost one was a dark-skinned man named Governor Fiat, who was in charge of the cities of Mari and Candui. Beside him was Lady Penumbra, who ruled Lunar City. She was normally pale and plump, but her light blue dress and stark back hair made her appear even more so. To her right was Governor Luciérnaga, a short, fat man with a long red beard who was in charge of Torrij. 

There was a final person standing at attention in a dark corner. Spacehart knew her only as Colonel Catalonia, a ruthless woman who controlled the third division of the Imperial military- the Faceless Regiment. Spacehart was much more unaware of the Faceless Regiment's purpose than she wished to be, but it was also well known that he who inquired of such things would soon have his whereabouts inquired by his friends. The governor could only see part of Catalonia due to the shadows, but what she could see disturbed her as much as it had the first time they'd met. A gray fishlike mask covered half of Catalonia's face. The only visible eye was deep blue and had a gray eyebrow looming over it that was extremely forked. She had long, light blond hair that reached down to her waist, and no hands. Instead of hands, she had large metallic claws that were several inches long each, and Spacehart could see the wires running into Catalonia's sleeves. No one really knew where her machine parts ended and body began. 

At the end of the long table, Emperor Tybalt took a seat. He was wearing his usual military panoply, and had a long saber sheathed and tucked into the blue sash around his waist. When Une squinted, she could barely make out the name 'Catalonia' etched into the sheath. He must have been taking fencing lessons with the colonel again. 

"I'm sure you realize why you have been summoned here," he began to say as he took a seat. "I have received no word from the crew investigating the issues with the IOMSes, nor from the ship that took them there. I am not panicked, but in case they are unable to repair the robots and the ice and soil mining returns, then we will have some problems to work out with the cities. Governors, please explain what your individual cities have done to overcome the shortage problem." 

Luciérnaga stood up and smoothed out his beard. "I believe I speak for the other governors as well when I say that we have each founded a government-run soil- and water- recycling facility in each of the cities, but the citizens found them insufficient and started running facilities of their own. On top of that, separate neighborhoods have begun rationing their supplies and begun using their supplies more carefully. Overall, the civilians have helped make this even more successful," he ended nervously. He could tell that he had given the most honest answer, but not the right one. 

"And that is where our problem lies," Tybalt said coldly. "Do any of the others have anything to add?" 

Fiat, Spacehart, and Penumbra all barely uttered a soft "No." 

"Good. We don't need any more than that," he rose out of his seat and began pacing back and forth behind his chair. "The people are becoming too independent. When water and soil supplies began to run low, they panicked and turned to their government for help. Therefore, we had the IOMSes created and sent to Earth to mine. But when the IOMSes malfunction, what do the citizens do as a reflex?" he demanded. When no one answered, he said "They start doing everything on their own. They don't _need_ the help of the Empire any more. We can't afford to let feelings like this spread rampant." He paused a moment to see if anyone had anything to say. It was unlikely, since this was not the first time he had given this lecture. "But we have received no word from the expedition crew. And the central computers can't pick up the _Queen Relena_'s tracking device. So for the time being, we must assume that we have to take other measures." 

"What kind of measures, your Excellency?" Fiat inquired to help overcome the monotony. This was the first time Tybalt had spoken of using other methods to keep the citizens of the cities in their places. 

"The cities are very interactive with one another, no?" he stated, more than asked. "Each one has their own specific product or entertainment or type of education for them to trade back and forth. But they are all so distant, how do people and products get from one to the other?" 

"There are several trader families that use ships to transport goods from one locale to the other," Winner said. 

"Indeed," Tybalt replied. "And we are going to buy them out." 

"_What?_" everyone exclaimed, incredulous. Even Colonel Catalonia, who had seemed as if she wasn't even paying attention to any of the meeting, let out a slight confused protest. 

"You can't buy out the trader families!" Penumbra said, trying to maintain a calm composure in the excitement. "Your Excellency, do you realize how much money, or perhaps even power, a family that has been trading for several hundred years, would demand in order to loose the lifestyle they have?" 

"Oh, we won't buy them all out at once. We'll just do it one at a time, make it a gradual process. Once we have a couple, the others will succumb as well." 

"But they will never agree to it!" Penumbra said, continuing her protest. "I come from a trader family that has been active since before the formation of the Empire, and I know from experience how stub-" 

"Governor Penumbra, silence!" Tybalt yelled, slamming his open palm on the table. "We do not speak of _that_," he continued, a little more calmly. 

Penumbra opened her mouth as if to reply, but found that she could think of nothing to say that wouldn't get her demoted. 

"What route does the Penumbra family trade along?" Tybalt demanded. 

"...Lunar City to Rezzaka to Candui and back again," Penumbra said reluctantly, her voice almost at a whisper. 

"Hmm..." Tybalt said with a chuckle. "That means that Rezzaka doesn't get their wine, Candui doesn't get their newly trained engineers, and Lunar City doesn't get their seeds and eggs, no? Isn't that what your family deals in, Governor Penumbra?" 

"...Yes, your Excellency." 

"I see. And your family will be all to willing to take whatever is offered them, of course, considering that they have a daughter serving as Governor with a fragile reputation, correct?" 

Penumbra didn't reply. She let out a faint choking sound as she held back tears of frustration. 

"_Correct_, Governor Penumbra?" Tybalt repeated. 

Penumbra looked around the room, searching for sympathy. She found it in every face save Catalonia's, but in an argument against an Emperor, it did her little good. "...Yes, your Excellency." 

"Good. I shall send the Lunar ambassador immediately to go make the offer to them." He turned to the other colonels and governors. "I know that almost all of you come from influential trader families. While it is inevitable that some sort of bargain will eventually be made between your families and the Empire," he said, as he seemed to be using his words more delicately "you can lengthen the time before that happens by having to prudence to not speak disrespectfully to me." Everyone nodded. "A meal will be served downstairs. For that, I adjourn this meeting for an hour and a half. Everyone is dismissed." 

* ~ * 

Everyone had climbed down into the ice cave except Falcon. "Hurry!" Noin urged him. 

"They're almost here!" he exclaimed to the people below as he tried to hastily tie the rope to something that would hold so he could climb down. Finally he just took a rock and placed it over the rope to hold it still until he could get at least a fourth of the way into the pit... he hoped. "I'm coming down!" he said to the people below. 

"We'll catch you if we can!" Maxwell said in reply, which surprised Falcon. 

"A... all right..." he replied. He hoped he could trust them enough to catch him instead of letting him plummet and impale himself as Winner had. 

A laser shot past him, and he realized that he could wait no longer. He tried sliding down on the rope, but he was barely all the way in before he noticed the rope slipping. "I'm falling!" he shouted to those below. But no sooner than the words had come out of his mouth had he noticed a plethora of laser shots being fired in front of and past him. He suddenly realized that they were trying to break the ice sheet. "Everyone, get out of the way! They're breaking the ice!" he shouted, but it was too late. All they heard was the crashing of the icy ceiling collapsing and falling to the floor where they stood. 

~ * ~ 

"A fine meal you've provided for us, your Excellency," Luciérnaga said as he used his napkin to comb the crumbs out of his beard. 

"Why, thank you Governor Luciérnaga. I was quite impressed with my chef's efforts as well, if I do say so myself," Tybalt replied. The response was nothing but small talk, as the entire dinner conversation had been for the past hour and a half. After Penumbra's punishment for speaking out, no one dared to take the risk of saying some asinine comment that might irk the emperor. 

"Yes, one of the best meals I've had in ages, your Excellency," Colonel Winner agreed. "The meat was wonderfully seasoned." 

"Indeed." 

"And the crushed _ices_ were a wonderful little novelty to finish it off," Winner continued, with a peculiar emphasis on the word 'ices'. Governor Spacehart stared at him. She couldn't tell if he was trying to pick a fight, find out more about the Emperor's family situation, or simply had too much to drink. 

"...Indeed." 

"It's a pity the General herself was unable to join in," Winner concluded. Une's mouth fell open in shock at Winner's bluntness. 

"...Indeed, Colonel Winner," Tybalt said in a voice that was colder than any dessert ice. 

"Well, then!" Spacehart interrupted. "Has anyone heard of the results of the Leos vs. Cancers game? I'm afraid I haven't had a chance to watch the news today." 

"The Cancers won," Fiat said. "Sixteen to twelve." 

"Oh. Well, then," Spacehart said as she tried to think of another delicate topic. 

"Has everyone finished eating?" Tybalt asked suddenly. When everyone nodded, he continued. "Then we will regroup back in the meeting room in ten minutes. I look forward to seeing you all there." Everyone quietly rose out of their seats and made their way back to the meeting room. "Oh, Governor Spacehart? May I have a word with you?" 

She turned around. "Yes, your Excellency?" 

He paused a moment until everyone had walked through the door. "I appreciate your attempt to calm things down during dinner." 

"N-no problem at all, your Excellency." 

"Do you have any idea what Colonel Winner was trying to attempt?" 

She paused. "I haven't a clue." 

"Hmm. I shall have to keep an eye out for him." 

"I suppose so, your Excellency." _Time to whip out the smile_, she thought to herself. And so did the soft, eerie smile appear over her face.   



End file.
